Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by Crazy13Faith
Summary: My spin on Order of the Phoenix. Written preOotP.
1. There Goes The Neighborhood

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix  
  
Disclaimer: I am not insane. I would only claim to own Harry Potter if I wanted my broke arse sued. I do own Melody, Faith, Grace, Alan, Hope, Joy  
and Jamie and the like.  
  
Author's Note: Unfortunately I do live vicariously through my characters. This idea has been running around in my head forever. This is the story  
that matches up with "Prologue...". Read and enjoy!!!! (Pardon me; I'm  
exclamation point happy.)  
  
Dedication: To Jordan, whom I've converted and Lynsey, who I'm working on.  
  
Chapter 1:  
There Goes The Neighborhood  
  
"Look out for women. You never know whether they're going to scream, or  
faint, or go for the gun."  
Mustang Man, Louis L'amour  
  
Harry Potter could have sighed with relief. The past two and a half weeks had been completely trouble free. Unless you counted the arrival of his God mother and two God sisters... Then there was Ron and Hermione who were fighting worse then ever... His God father's odd behavior around his God mother... Voldemort's low profile... Adamantly avoiding Ginny Weasley at all costs... Oh, and there was the small matter of forming The Order of  
the Phoenix with his two God sisters, the four youngest Weasleys and  
Hermione.  
  
The Order of the Phoenix was a group of young people who were trying to do their part to help defeat Voldemort. Of course right now, they only had eight members, all the founding ones, but that wasn't important. It had been his idea, with the help of Hermione and Ron. They had thought that it wasn't fair for some people to be working on getting rid of the recently arisen Dark Lord, while the rest of them sat back on our duffs. So they had come up with all sorts of ideas, and the final one had stuck. A group of young people, who were going to do their part.  
  
It had somehow become immensely complicated. The girls had gone to junk shops and second hand jewelry stores looking for pieces of jewelry with phoenixes on them while they had been shopping for new school supplies.  
  
Hermione had run through the Weasley's library as well as her own until she found a book that told them how to make Portkeys. She had practiced on several objects, until she got it right. Now their phoenixes were also Portkeys, which would take them to the destination of the meeting whenever one was called. It also acted as a normal Portkey, taking them to where ever they wanted. Harry's own was a rather heavy red amulet, which had a phoenix engraved on it.  
  
But other than that he'd been having no trouble what so ever. None at all. Of course that was before Faith decided to talk her mother and father into moving into Black Manor.  
  
"Oh come on Mom! You know you want to! And you'll need help! Remus said it's a complete disaster area and--"  
  
"No." Sirius crossed his arms firmly in front of his chest, "Your mother said no."  
  
"No one asked you Sirius." Faith rolled her eyes at her father and pushed him aside, looking her mother in the eye, "Please Mom! Please! If I have to live there, I want to pick my own room."  
  
"Faith, you don't really have a choice on where to live, now do you? You burnt the house down like it was a candle!" Melody stared at her daughter, "And apologize to your father. You shouldn't disrespect him." Faith once again rolled her eyes.  
  
Harry had not noticed Melody's slight English accent when she arrived, it had been hidden beneath her fake American inflection for fourteen years. However, it appeared that in the presence of so many people from her native land brought the accent back out, and it became more prominent with each passing day.  
  
"Don't I deserve a little respect? Don't I deserve to have some say in this? I don't even understand why you won't let us move in yet!" Faith's accent was still distinctly American.  
  
"If I thought you would listen, I would send you to your sleeping bag," Sirius muttered.  
  
"And that's another thing! Mom, I'm sleeping outside! As in no roof over my head! Harry and Ron almost drowned last night. The twins had to drag Ron in because they couldn't wake him up!"  
  
Harry was finding this all very amusing.  
  
"Faith, it is going to be a lot of work cleaning that place up. You heard Moony; it's a hellhole right now. No one has kept up on the cleaning because Sirius set all the house elves free when we went into hiding. It is going to take me ages to get it livable."  
  
"Then we should help! We'll be living there too!"  
  
"I know you will all be living there and it would be nice to have Harry help carry things..."  
  
"Please Mom?"  
  
Then Faith did something so radical, Harry thought he was going to have a heart attack. "Sirius, please? Talk some sense into her. Please? For your eldest daughter?" The look on Sirius face was priceless. Harry wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere right now other than where he was at present.  
  
"Melody, you know... I think she's right. You would have more help and--"  
  
"Have you always been this easy to butter up Sirius Black?"  
  
Sirius blinked stupidly. "I don't know what you're talking about Mella. I only get buttered up for you." Mushiness ensued. Harry and Faith tried not to throw up.  
  
"All right!" Melanie laughed and pulled herself free from Sirius' grasp, "Okay! We'll move in tomorrow."  
  
Harry was beginning to wonder how he got into this mess.  
  
Over the rest of Harry's vacation, furniture was moved, rooms arranged and mishaps well... happened. Things were broken, not very many of them mended, and there were several arguments. Every day ended with at least one person injured, either physically, or mentally.  
  
"Move that to the left. No Sirius, your other left. There we go. Just a little bit more... Faith watch out for that...!" Crash. "...vase." Melody put her face into her hand, shaking her head back and forth, "This isn't working."  
  
"Why aren't we using magic?" Ron asked from behind her, carrying a stack of linens and pillows.  
  
"Because Sirius is still a fugitive Ron. As far as the Ministry knows this house is vacant. If any magic is done a swarm of Aurors will descend upon this house faster than you can say Firebolt." Melody tried to keep the tension out of her voice.  
  
"Firebolt. What about Firebolts?" Grace asked from behind the night table she and Ginny were carrying.  
  
"Nothing darling. Nothing at all," Melody sighed with the air of a woman trapped in a house with mentally unbalanced people.  
  
"Ron, stop being a prat and come help us with this dresser," Faith called from her end. "This house is dull enough without adding your stupidity into the mixture."  
  
"I now know why Fred and George like you so much," Ron grumbled, handing his load to Melody and helping the older girl.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure there are more reasons than the fact that I can order you around like a drill sergeant."  
  
"And what else might have brought them to take a liking to you?"  
  
"I... can pull a really good prank."  
  
***  
  
A week and a half later, Harry was beginning to wonder what looked worse. The house before moving in, or the house after moving in. Then he decided  
there was too much junk to tell.  
  
"My motor bikes are still out here!" Sirius called from the backyard.  
  
"Oh, Lord, help us," Melody sighed.  
  
There were the boxes Sirius had pulled out of the attic. The tools strewn all over the back hall. Faith's books, which you were constantly tripping over, even if you were in your own room. And then there were the guests.  
  
Since the Floo system had never been shut down to Black Manor, it was in full use now that Harry and Ron had spent three days cleaning every fireplace. Melody had gone to the Ministry along with Faith, now the Mistress of Black Manor, and done a lot of paperwork.  
  
Ginny was practically living in Grace's room, so it was becoming harder and harder to avoid her. Consequently Harry spent quite a few nights at the Burrow, and Ron would stay with Harry whenever he decided to stay at Black Manor. Remus had become a permanent fixture on Faith's insistence and you never knew where you were to find him. And then there was the fact that there were more often then not strange noises and curses coming from Faith's room at all hours of the night.  
  
When Harry asked Sirius if things here had always been so cluttered and disorganized Sirius had shaken his head in the negative. "No Harry, it used to be much worse." Harry found this hard to believe, and he never doubted Sirius' word. He didn't blame anyone for the mess. It was everyone's fault... except maybe Melody's.  
  
***  
  
Sirius had left the night before, needing to run a few errands, and feeling slightly uneasy about putting them all in danger. Melody hadn't been happy at all and she had cried quietly for several hours after he had left and Faith and Remus had to help her to bed. Grace had voiced her opinion about  
him leaving very loudly; it had ended with her running up the center staircase and slamming her bedroom door. Faith had simply replaced the ice mask that had nearly dissolved over the short time she had spent with her biological father. Harry, having been through this before, had given him a quick hug and stood beside Remus who had done the same. Then Padfoot had  
quickly run off into the black night.  
  
Harry was sitting on the balcony that led from his room when Melody knocked on his door. Harry jumped up, almost falling as he ran the distance to the door. "Yes?"  
  
"Can I come in?" Harry nodded and motioned her in. "Have you packed?"  
  
He nodded once more. Tomorrow they would wake early and make their way to Platform nine and three quarters for the trip to Hogwarts. "Yes, I just finished."  
  
"Good. Good." Melody fingered the bedspread.  
  
"Melody, was there something you wanted?" Harry looked at his God mother questioningly. She shook her head slowly.  
  
"I believe the question that should be asked is, what do you want?" Harry had the urge to say something crazy, like that he wanted Voldemort to drop off the face of the planet. He wanted his parents alive. He wanted to know what Faith was doing every night and why it created so much noise. He wanted to not blush in front of Ginny Weasley anymore. He wanted Sirius to no longer be a fugitive. He really wanted Ron and Hermione to stop bickering.  
  
"I want just what I have," Harry said calmly. Looking up at Melody, he squeezed her hand. "Thank you." Melody smiled.  
  
"No Harry, thank you." Standing up, she kissed his forehead. "You should go to sleep. We have got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. It has been a long time since I've had to go to nine and three quarters."  
  
To Be Continued.... 


	2. Squeeze Me In

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix  
  
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. And for this one, I don't own Emma, Jane Austin does. Honestly. You think I'm stupid enough to claim that I own a classic piece of literature? I mean... I think I have a copy somewhere... but I hardly own printing rights or anything. You know... I don't own the  
title of this chapter... I'm such a plagiarist.  
  
Author's Note: Coincidentally, any Beatles references (whether directly or in directly) are completely coincidental! 10 points to the house of your  
choice if you can figure out where my title comes from.  
  
Dedication: To Dad- for never kicking me off when I should be doing  
something else, you know, like... something else in general.  
  
Chapter 2:  
Squeeze Me In  
  
"When will they learn that witches never wore pointy hats?"  
The Night World: Spellbinder, L.J. Smith  
  
There are many things in life that make you think 'Why me, God? Why me?'.  
Living with three girls is one of those things.  
  
Needless to say, getting out the door the next day was no picnic. First, Faith couldn't find her guitar; it was under Remus' bed. Then Grace lost her shoes; they were in her trunk. They were finally packed in the car Remus had rented at the beginning of the summer, when Harry realized he'd left his homework on his desk, or the wooden box presently serving as his desk until Melody found the one that matched the rest of his furniture. It was almost as chaotic as leaving from The Burrow.  
  
Fortunately, everyone was too tired to talk in the car. Grace and Faith had pestered Harry all night, wanting to talk about The Order, as they were now calling it, and generally annoying Harry to no end about anything they fancied. They were both asleep, thank heavens.  
  
Melody and Remus were quietly squabbling over which radio station to listen to, as Melody wanted to listen to the Beatles and Remus would be damned first. The argument continued all the way to the station, in the end Harry couldn't tell you who won even if he wanted to, and he really didn't. All he knew was that if he never heard the word "Beatles" again, it would be far too soon.  
  
They managed to reach the barrier at the same time as the Weasleys (with ten minutes before the train left), and Mrs. Weasley was delighted. "Oh, good. You didn't have any trouble finding your way, did you? No, no, of course you didn't. The two of you must come for tea today. I'll have no company, what with the children going off and Arthur being at work." Remus confirmed that they had no trouble and would gladly join her for tea.  
  
"So, what's it like living with them without any distractions?" Ron was leaning casually against the barrier with Harry and Hermione. They all fell through and Harry smiled slightly.  
  
"It's different, that's for sure. Grace was following me around, asking questions; that is whenever Ginny wasn't there for the night and I wasn't at The Burrow. Faith however chose to pretend I wasn't there. And loud bumping noises come from her room at night."  
  
Hermione glanced curiously at the barrier just as Faith and the twins ran through, racing down the platform and yelling at people to get out of the way. "What caused them?"  
  
"That, I am afraid to ask," Harry replied, heaving his trunk off the cart. They must have been in conversation longer than they originally thought, because they hadn't even climbed onto the train before Grace's head was seen sticking out a window.  
  
"Harry! In here! It's empty minus Ginny and me."  
  
"Ginny and I," Hermione called.  
  
"Right, Hermione." Ron rolled his eyes at the fifth year Prefect.  
  
Soon enough everyone was loaded onto the Hogwarts express and the women made tearful good-byes. Faith ordered Remus to take care of her mother and reminded him that she expected weekly owls. "Who's the adult here?" Remus had asked in a threatening voice, or at least as threatening as he could manage. "I expect weekly owls... I'll tell you if there's any news about Padfoot as well," he added under the jet headed girl's glare.  
  
Hermione had finally managed to convince Grace and Ginny that keeping their heads outside the window as the train left the station was not a good idea, when a small boom erupted from the other side of the south wall.  
  
"Faith and the twins," Grace said calmly, reaching for a... what were those called again?  
  
"What are those again?" Harry asked, pointing at the thing.  
  
"Emery boards Harry, emery boards," Ron said, leafing through a Quidditch magazine. "What?" he asked under Hermione's questioning gaze, "I've lived with girls longer than Harry, I'm bound to know what they are called." Hermione found this very amusing and covered her face with her hands as she laughed. "What?!" Ron yelled, "It's not funny. Honestly."  
  
Harry was starting to think that this could be a quite ride. Hermione had her nose buried in a Muggle novel, Emma, and wasn't bothering anyone, the only break in her pattern was when she would fiddle with the gold bracelet on her right wrist, which had a phoenix charm dangling off it, identical to Grace and Ginny's. Grace and Ginny were humming songs in harmony and playing war with a deck of Muggle cards while he and Ron played exploding snap. He occasionally noticed Ron pull at his own necklace, which depicted a flying phoenix on the charm that hung underneath his robes. There weren't any loud noises coming from the southern compartments, but Harry wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. Silence was often a false pretense whenever the twins were involved.  
  
"You know, I am a bit surprised, Malfoy has yet to make an-- appearance." He spoke too soon. Harry heard Ron curse as Draco entered the compartment, with Crabbe and Goyle behind him as always. "I had to say it, didn't I?" Harry sighed. "All right Malfoy, just clear out before we have to give you another taste of the beginning of the summer if you catch my meaning." Harry said, stepping smoothly in front of the blond boy's gaze, which was turned on Grace and Ginny.  
  
"Still cocky are we Potter?" Draco shook his head slowly, "I wouldn't be so if I were you. When one is cocky, one tends to loose focus."  
  
"Harry?" Grace pulled on the sleeve of his robes, "Who's this guy?"  
  
"Ah, another member of the fan club, Potter?" Malfoy said scathingly, boring steel gray eyes down at Grace.  
  
"Grace Caulfield-Black." Grace thought for a moment and quickly added, "McKneer." Raising her slight figure from the seat, she offered her hand to the pale boy.  
  
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."  
  
Draco shook her hand as the rest of the compartment stared at the two blankly. "James Bond fan, are we?" Grace asked.  
  
"Who?" Draco stared blankly. "I've never heard of him."  
  
"Oh, Wizarding family?" Draco nodded. "That explains it. I'm not. My mom was Muggle born." This didn't immediately register with Draco. He seemed entranced by Grace in some way not even he could explain.  
  
"Muggle born?" Draco finally got out, narrowing his eyes, "I see. Once a Mudblood, always a Mudblood. Not even a Pureblood father can fix that taint." Grace slapped him as every other person in the compartment converged on Malfoy, staring him down.  
  
"Say that again you slimy piece of scum."  
  
Everyone turned to find Faith, Fred and George with their wands pointed at the Slytherins. "If you ever look at my sister again you piece of trash, you'll be dead before you can say Avada Kedavra." Faith's blazing gray eyes met Draco's steel coloured and the two clashed.  
  
"I wouldn't look at that... that... thing again if you paid me," Malfoy spat.  
  
"Good, as long as we're in agreement, I won't be sending you back to your darling parents in a matchbox." She and the two very angry seventh years behind her moved aside to allow the three Slytherins passage.  
  
"I could have handled him, Faith," Grace said coolly.  
  
"I know. But what fun would that have been?" Faith sat atop Harry's trunk, next to Hedwig and sighed, "Who was that guy anyhow?"  
  
"Only the biggest prick on the planet," Grace summed up, "Draco Malfoy. What house is he in?"  
  
"Slytherin." Harry grumbled, still staring at the open door.  
  
Faith stood, and walked over to the Fred and George, tapping them on their backs and grabbing the bag they each were arguing over from their hands. "Come along you two. I can't sell Wheezes if you aren't there. What colour are we turning my hair again?"  
  
"Actually, we were thinking of turning you into a canary." Fred, confirmed by the heavy gold bracelet with a phoenix linked into it, said.  
  
"I refuse to become a yellow bird."  
  
"What if it's a neon purple bird?" George asked cheerfully, pulling at her arm.  
  
"I'll think about it."  
  
"Those three." Hermione shook her head. "She is most definitely Sirius' daughter."  
  
Ron nodded his confirmation. "Only a second generation Marauder would let Fred and George pull a prank on them."  
  
"This is going to be an interesting year, isn't it?" Ginny asked, giggling. Harry sighed as Grace broke out into laughter, soon followed by Hermione, himself and Ron.  
  
"Oh, definitely interesting. Definitely," Grace confirmed.  
  
Three explosions of minor damage, one lunch cart and several corny jokes from Grace later, the Hogwarts Express arrived at the station in Hogsmead. The students all clambered out of the train; Faith leaning heavily on Fred and George who were both supporting her.  
  
"What did you do to her?" Hermione asked incredulously.  
  
"We told her not to smoke those blasted things. We added too much bat liver and it knocked her out." George shook his head and stopped his brother. "She isn't going to like me for this." George smacked her square on the jaw and Faith let out a cry of alarm and swung back. It grazed his hair.  
  
"Don't hit me again, Weasley. Next time I won't miss." Faith pulled away from the two and began walking on her own.  
  
"All right there 'Arry?" Harry turned and waved at the half-giant waving at him.  
  
"All right Hagrid!"  
  
"See you inside then! Firs' Years! Firs' Years over here!"  
  
"Are we first years?" Grace asked suddenly.  
  
"Of course not!" Faith smiled at her younger sister. "We've already been sorted darling, off to the castle!"  
  
***  
  
One day Harry fully intended on finding out how Grace and Faith were both sitting at Gryffindor table before anyone else. As for now he was merely  
glad his God sisters were in his house.  
  
Harry sat back in his chair as McGonagall came forward with the Sorting Hat and trailed by a group of first years that was considerably smaller than the previous years had been. He watched the ritual unfold as the Deputy Headmistress began to call out names.  
  
"Allen, John."  
  
"Hufflepuff!" the sorting hat called after a moment.  
  
"Andrews, Audrey."  
  
"Ravenclaw!" The pretty blond walked toward the Ravenclaw table amidst her new housemate's cheers.  
  
"Beckham, Daniel," was the first to be sorted into Gryffindor, and "Kincaid, Joseph," the second. It seemed Slytherin was receiving the most new students this year. That was until McGonagall hit the Ms.  
  
"Mallory, Jacob."  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"Mallory, Jessica."  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"Mallory, Julie."  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
"Mallory, Justin."  
  
"Gryffindor!"  
  
The quadruplets were the first large group of Gryffindors and the whole house jumped up screaming and yelling as the four almost identical first years sat down.  
  
Soon enough the final first year was housed (Zhane, Corbin: Slytherin) and Dumbledore stood to make the 'pre-meal speech', or torture as Ron called it.  
  
"Before you delve into this most delicious looking feast that has been prepared for you, I would like to introduce you to two other students. They are both Gryffindor and upper years, in forth and sixth. Faith and Grace Black-McKneer, if you would please stand."  
  
Faith stood with a slight smirk as the Weasley twins began catcalling and whistling at her name. Grace merely smiled and was careful not to glance at the Slytherin table from where Malfoy was glaring openly at her.  
  
"These two will be joining us for the remainder of their magical education and I hope they will be happy here. Now, I believe there are several puddings, which are looking considerably desirable tonight. Eat!"  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. It's Never Easy

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix  
  
Dedication: To Andie, because she's the best.  
  
Chapter 3:  
It's Never Easy  
  
"Stupid... But impressive."  
The Secret Circle Vol. II: The Captive, L.J. Smith  
  
If Harry kept a diary, the entry for the first school day would not read;  
"This has been the best day ever..." It would not read; "It's been an  
average day, at least for Hogwarts..." Instead, it would read in large, messy letters; "THIS COULD QUITE POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN THE CRAZIEST DAY EVER."  
And that would be all.  
  
Harry now knew to never show Faith to her classes. Grace had been taken care of, since she and Ginny had managed to receive the exact same schedule, including extra classes. However, Faith was something else entirely. Harry, Ron and Hermione took her to her first class, potions. This was a bad idea. First, she tripped down a flight of stairs, cursing loudly and scaring a pack of first years. Then she got stuck in a trick stair, once again swearing loudly, luckily no one was around. Then there was actually arriving in the dungeons. She didn't have potions with Slytherin, luckily, but Faith didn't seem to get on too well with any of her fellow sixth years, and she nearly broke a Ravenclaw's nose when he touched her butt.  
  
Ron had grimaced as they left. "Mate, what do you say we get Fred and George to take her to the rest of her classes?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan." Harry heaved his bag over his shoulder. "A very good plan."  
  
The three headed off for Herbology in a dead run when Hermione pointed out they were going to be late, and a class rather lacking in productivity ensued. They were in the first greenhouse, which meant a lecture rather than the usual hands on lessons they received from Professor Sprout.  
  
Care of Magical Creatures was far more exciting, as it can be when Hagrid is the teacher and Slytherin is the other house in the class. The newest creature they were to be studying were several...  
  
"Jarveys!" Hagrid announced happily. Talking ferrets proved to be too much for the Gryffindors, and they all burst into laughter, several of them falling to the ground. Malfoy however did not find this too amusing. A sarcastic 'ha ha' could be heard coming from his direction as Hagrid handed each student a crate. "I wan' each o' you to record any topic they like. Whate'r they talk about most, right? Right then. Let 'em on out." No one seemed to have significant problems with their Jarveys. That is unless you were Hermione and Ron. It seemed Hagrid was short one, and he had put the two Gryffindors together, and that wasn't the best idea.  
  
"Ron! For Merlin's sake! You talk and I'll record."  
  
"I don't trust talking animals."  
  
"Ron! Be reasonable."  
  
"I am being reasonable and I don't like the way she's looking at me."  
  
"It's a male, Ronald."  
  
"Don't call me that, and how can you tell?"  
  
"Why don't you look?"  
  
"I am not having this conversation with you."  
  
"Ron!"  
  
Harry chuckled as the two continued. "They don't get many assignments done when they work together, do they?" Harry turned to the male Jarvey.  
  
"Not really. I think the teachers put them together every so often for a good laugh."  
  
"Yes. They are rather amusing. But I imagine they will become highly annoying after a while."  
  
"Try having them for best friends."  
  
"That must be a treat."  
  
"Indeed it is."  
  
"You're not so bad."  
  
"Neither are you."  
  
"They call me Sherman, those who speak to me that is."  
  
"Sherman?"  
  
"I was domesticated by an American wizard a few years back. He knew things about the America Civil War that you wouldn't want to hear if you had a test on it the next morning that determined whether you lived or died."  
  
"How did Hagrid find you?"  
  
"I ran away."  
  
"Smart Jarvey."  
  
"I know." If Jarvey's could grin, Harry was sure this one would be doing so very broadly.  
  
***  
  
As Faith had been handed into the trouble-making hands of Fred and George Weasley along with their seventh-year friends, Harry was no longer worrying  
about her finding classes. Grace was down the table with Ginny and her  
fourth year friends. Harry was beginning to relax.  
  
Nothing out of the ordinary for Hogwarts had happened yet. Not that this was saying much, since Hogwarts usually involved some life-or-death adventure for Harry and his friends. However, Harry had become very aware of Cho Chang's presence a mere two tables over. He avoided her gaze whenever it came in his direction, but stared at her when he thought no one was looking. He was doing precisely this at lunch the first Wednesday back.  
  
"Harry, it is rude to stare," Hermione hissed. Harry turned his gaze from the Ravenclaw table to his friend. "This isn't good for you. You really should go and talk to her and tell her what happened. The guilt is eating you up, though it shouldn't, and she deserves to know."  
  
"Hermione, you have no idea what you are talking about. Leave it alone!" Ron said, for once doing the correcting instead of being corrected.  
  
"Yes, Hermione, leave it alone," Harry said, picking up his books and standing. "We've got double potions."  
  
"Oh, yes, because we wouldn't want to miss that," Ron sighed and stood up. Hermione followed the boys, muttering to herself.  
  
Snape was not a happy professor that afternoon. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a week and seemed to be picking on the Gryffindors more than usual, if that was at all possible.  
  
"Longbottom, if I remember correctly, the directions say to add two ounces of porcupine blood, not hedgehog blood. Ten points from Gryffindor for not listening to directions... Granger! Stop slipping him hints. You are not the professor. Another ten points."  
  
By the end of class Gryffindor had lost forty points and Ron was very sour. "What crawled up his arse and died this morning anyhow?"  
  
"Ron, you shouldn't be so mean to him."  
  
"Me?" Ron stared at Hermione in disbelief, "Me? Mean? He's the one being mean, the bastard!"  
  
"Ron, he's doing a very important job and you heard what Faith found out. He's gone back undercover. It's dangerous." Hermione glared angrily.  
  
"Harry, you do agree with me, don't you?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "You both have a point. He is as big of a prat as ever, but he is doing something important. If it weren't for him, the adults wouldn't be receiving any of their information." Hermione slapped her hand over his mouth.  
  
"We shouldn't be talking about this. Not out in the open. Someone might overhear." Harry nodded and she removed her hand.  
  
"Geeze, Hermione. Just knock him out next time, I'm sure it will be less painful." Ron muttered.  
  
"I heard that," Hermione replied, trying to hide a grin.  
  
***  
  
The mid-week lull had set in. That is unless you were Hermione. Despite  
the fact that they had not yet received any homework, she had her head  
buried in a voluminous tome.  
  
Fred and George seemed to be worse than usual with Faith there encouraging them, and not even Angelina, Katie and Alicia could dissuade the two from trouble making. You could barely hear yourself think that they were loud, much less anything productive. Harry and Ron weren't far from Hermione's chair, playing chess once again and trying very hard not to roll their eyes at their best friend.  
  
"Think she'll ever relax?" Harry asked, eyeing his bushy-haired friend.  
  
"No, but do we really want her to? After all, isn't she better the way she came when we first got her?" Ron's bishop had just slaughtered Harry's knight.  
  
"You're right, we'd both have been expelled long ago if it wasn't for her. Pawn to E9. You would have flunked potions, and charms, and transfiguration, and--"  
  
Ron held up his hand. "Thanks for the vote of confidence mate." Shaking his head he took his eyes off the board. "You know, she's right."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"You really should talk to Cho."  
  
"No."  
  
"Harry, you are amazing, you know that?" Ron stared him down. "Half the time I can't believe I got lucky enough to have you as a best friend. You are smart, brave and one hell of a Quidditch player. But sometimes you drive me up the wall."  
  
"Ron, I don't want to talk about this." Harry turned his gaze back to the game.  
  
"All right." Ron looked back down at the board along with him. "But I don't mind talking about it, if you ever want to."  
  
A small smile crossed Harry's face. "You'll be the first one I come to, I swear by Merlin."  
  
"You can't break that now, you'll be struck down dead."  
  
"At least it won't be painful." Harry said sarcastically.  
  
A sudden boom erupted from behind Hermione's chair, and this was apparently too much for her. "Fred and George Weasley!" she shouted as the two raced up the boys' staircase. "Just you wait until I get my hands on you! You'll be nursing injuries for a month!"  
  
"I swear," Ron muttered, "I've said it before and I'll say it again, barking mad."  
  
"No doubt exists that all women are crazy. It's just a question of degree." Harry gave Ron a lop-sided smile.  
  
"You, my friend, have spent far too much time around Faith."  
  
"Don't I know it."  
  
***  
  
Defense Against The Dark Arts. Now this was a class that never ceased to be interesting. A new teacher every year, with a new personality and a new specialty in the area of the Dark Arts. Seeing as Snape had taught potions and he hadn't seen a new teacher sitting up at the head table, the fifth year Gryffindors had no idea who was going to be teaching this year. This was due in part to the fact that the older students, who had already had  
him, refused to say anything.  
  
The fifth years now sat at their desks, eagerly awaiting their new teacher. Harry, Hermione and Ron had chosen seats in the second row, just to be safe. The moment the door opened, Harry was very glad he hadn't chosen a first row seat. This woman was scary looking. Not like big-hairy monster scary. No, she was just scary. Maybe it was because she was female.  
  
"Hello. My name is Dallas Maxwell. You can call me Professor Maxwell." Her accent was distinctly Irish, but her hair was platinum blond, versus the red that came to mind whenever most people thought of the Irish. "Now, it seems to me you all have been through several Defense teachers. I am your fifth, correct?" The class nodded. "Hopefully I will be your last. Unless I die, I am not going anywhere." She stopped and the students now stared up at her a bit awe struck. This was not your average Defense teacher. "Now, you've covered Dark creatures with Lupin. Curses, jinxes and hexes with Moody or um... whoever he really was... All right then. I'm going to put you up to scratch on your dueling."  
  
Harry and Ron stared at one another. They had joined the dueling club in their second year and it had been rather disastrous, fueling the fire for the rumor that Harry was the heir of Slytherin.  
  
"Any volunteers for a quick assessment of your skills?" Harry and Ron slid down in their seats. "Come now, you can either volunteer or I can pick two names off the roster." Harry wondered if he could slide all the way under his desk. Hermione was shooting daggers at he and Ron, but he didn't notice her hand in the air like it usually was. "All right then, Ronald Weasley and-- Harry Potter! Blimey! I really should take roll at the beginning of class and not whenever I feel like it." Harry and Ron both got resignedly to their feet, taking their wands out. "Now, I'm assuming you know what to do?" They both nodded and faced one another.  
  
"I'll try not to blow you off the face of the planet, okay mate?" Ron gave Harry a grin.  
  
"Yes, let's save that for the professionals, shall we? I'll make sure you land safely on Pluto."  
  
"So you do pay attention in Astronomy."  
  
"Gentlemen, get to it." Both boys once again nodded at the Professor and bowed to one another.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" both boys bellowed at once.  
  
"Let's get creative, shall we?" Harry sniggered.  
  
"Yes, disarming one another isn't much fun." Both retrieving their wands, they began again.  
  
"Tarantallegra!" Harry shouted as Ron cast a tickling charm. He heard Ron mutter Finite Incantatem.  
  
"Ric-- Rictus-empr-aa!" Harry laughed out.  
  
"Serpensortia!" Ron shouted, grinning despite the fact that he was half bent over.  
  
"Ronald!" Hermione shouted from her seat, "Someone could get hurt with that beast in here!"  
  
"Harry can handle him, can't you Harry?"  
  
Harry nodded. "And don't call him a beast Hermione, you'll hurt his feelings." Harry bent down and smiled at the king snake. "Hullo there," Harry said in Parseltounge. "Hello," the snake hissed back.  
  
"Why don't you go say hello to my friend Hermione? The bushy-headed one."  
  
"The girl who issss sssitting on her feet?"  
  
"Yes, that's her. But don't scare her too badly." The snake slithered down the isle toward Hermione and wound it's way up to her desktop.  
  
"That's not funny, Harry! I don't like snakes!" Hermione had jumped away from her desk. You would have thought Ron had been hit with the tickling charm because of how hard he was laughing. "Harry! Call him off! This is not funny Ron! This is your fault!"  
  
"Mine?" Ron asked. "I'm not the one who told him to go pester you. That's not poisonous is it Harry? Wait, you're really afraid of snakes 'Mione?"  
  
"No it is not poisonous, he's a king snake, but I still don't want him by me! Of course I don't like snakes, am I the only one who remembers second year? And stop calling me 'Mione!" Harry laughed and walked over, picking the snake up.  
  
"She isn't any fun, is she?" he asked the snake. Setting it on the ground, and pointing his wand at it he said, "Finite Incantatem."  
  
"Very nice display boys. A great deal of showing off, but a rather nice display. Now please take your seats. You might want to move, Miss. Granger doesn't look very happy." Harry and Ron made sure to stay farther than arm's length from Hermione for the rest of the day.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	4. Captain Seeks Keeper

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix  
  
Author's Note: I know that I have a movie title in this blasted chapter somewhere! The problem is that I can't seem to find it. Twenty points to  
the house of your choice if you find it!  
  
Chapter 4:  
Captain Seeks Keeper  
  
"And just when you think it's all over and done,  
The nights get easier one by one."  
Better Days, Faith Hill  
  
Saturday, everyone's favorite day of the week. Unless you were watching in  
horror as your sisters and their closest female friends run down to the lakeside with their school robes over their bathing suits, with a stack of  
books, a pile of towels and a WWN connection.  
  
"Never, in all my years at Hogwarts." Fred said. "This is insane. We should be voting on a new captain for the Quidditch team. We should be finding our new Keeper. We should be discussing who to invite to join The Order. Not standing here with our mouths hanging open as the girls lay out and get some-- oh Merlin."  
  
"Really." Ron shook his head. "This is just-- I mean--"  
  
"We know exactly what you mean, Ron. I think." Harry shook his head like his friend. "Have they gone nutters? People can see them!"  
  
"Like those ruddy Ravenclaw seventh years! When I get my hands one them! Looking at our girls--" George looked ready to take on a rampaging manticore as he watched Faith and Ginny shake their robes off, flinging them onto a nearby rock with the others.  
  
"Our girls?" Harry asked. "Ginny is your sister, Faith and Grace are far too complicated. Hermione is-- well Hermione is Hermione. The other three however..."  
  
"Angelina is my girlfriend... sort of." Fred ran his hand through his hair.  
  
"I say we go down there and drag them up here kicking and screaming--" Ron's face was almost redder than his hair.  
  
"Something tells me that would not be a good idea Mr. Weasley." The four boys turned to find Professor McGonagall before them. "I have been looking for the three of you everywhere." She indicated Fred, George and Harry. "Have you given any thought to your new Captain?"  
  
"Harry." The twins announced as the usual unit.  
  
"What? Me? No. No. No. I can't be Captain!"  
  
"Why not?" Ron asked. "You've been on the team since your first year and you'll be here the next two. You're the best man for the job."  
  
"Shut it Ron!" Harry growled.  
  
"I have to say, I do agree with Messers. Weasley." McGonagall nodded. "Yes, I believe you would be best for the job."  
  
"But-- but-- Well, wh-what did the girls say?" Harry finally stuttered out.  
  
"I have just spoken with them. They are in agreement. They believe you will do the best job."  
  
"Wait, you saw them and didn't order them up here?" Ron choked out. "Isn't there a rule against--"  
  
"Against going swimming? I believe not Mr. Weasley. It isn't recommended, but there is nothing I can do to stop them." Ron began to mumble about bloody women; luckily McGonagall didn't seem to hear him. "Now, if we're in agreement Mr. Potter, I believe you are the new Gryffindor Captain."  
  
Harry moved his mouth silently. "He'll do it Professor, and if he doesn't, we'll beat him into acceptance!" Fred said cheerfully.  
  
"Why do I not doubt that?" McGonagall stood up and cleared her throat. "I believe you will need to set up a field date, that way you can look for your new Keeper, Mr. Potter."  
  
"Thu- thu- Thursday?" Harry asked, still shocked.  
  
"I believe it is open on that day. You should make an announcement before the house." She said, and soon left.  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?"  
  
***  
  
Since declared captain, Harry had reached a new level of insanity. He had made an informal announcement to the common room about try-outs not only  
for Keeper, but also for a reserve team on Thursday afternoon. When he  
mentioned this date to some of the girls they had rolled their eyes and Ginny had burst out laughing, reminding him that fifth years had astronomy Thursday night. Harry had used words he didn't recall having ever heard,  
much less said.  
  
He was running plays mentally, when he should have been listening to a lesson or doing his homework. Ron had cheerfully mentioned how it was a good thing that Dean had been made the fifth year Prefect along with Hermione and not Harry, for Harry would have surely lost his position already with the distraction he seemed to be suffering from. Hermione nagged him constantly about getting his mind off the pitch and into the classroom.  
  
And if this wasn't enough, Divinitation had reached an all time low. It seemed his teacher was no longer merely satisfied with predicting his death, no, it was much worse now. She had managed to incorporate three girls and one other boy, judging by the description Ginny, Grace, Faith and an unknown boy or man, into the whole mess. Literally, his death was going to be a running river of blood if that old bat Terelwany had her way.  
  
Ron was not happy that his little sister was suddenly involved in the mess that was Harry's bizarre life, even if it was only of the crazy woman's fantasy and was continually muttering something under his breath. Harry couldn't say he was too happy about the recent development either, especially since she wasn't specifically saying who any of the girls were, merely a vague description. They were studying palmistry and she managed to concoct a wild tail from the lines in his hand.  
  
"Mr. Potter, four figures linger about you. One resembles a close male figure to you, her hair is as black as a lightless night and her eyes are a passionate gray, a fire blazing below the color. She is your stronghold, a mothering figure, something to lean upon.  
  
"Another brings to mind toffee, or brown. Hair like old gold, bronzed skin, golden eyes. She is your sensitive side, the one who will always try to understand, and the one who will do nothing without your approval.  
  
"The third is yet another girl, this one your passion. Her hair is red as the fire that burns within her for you, warm eyes like chocolate. She cannot be contained or controlled, but when let loose, she will come back with twice the love she left with.  
  
"The man is a mystery, dark in every possible way, a struggle lies between the two of you and the winner has been set far in the past, but is unknown to us."  
  
This had not been encouraging.  
  
"Ruddy witch." Ron's eyes were narrowed into slits and Harry was still trying not to blush. "Insinuating... and I know who she was talking about! As if you and Ginny-- please I mean-- not possible." Ron looked at him almost pleadingly. "You're not, I mean, you won't, will you?"  
  
Harry's mouth dropped open. "No, no, I don't think so Ron. For one thing, the furthest thing from my mind right now is a relationship. Secondly, Ginny and I don't really know one another. I mean--" Harry shook his head. "No."  
  
Ron nodded and patted Harry's back. "That's what I thought. We've all got too much on our minds to even think about dating. Although..."  
  
"It would be kind of nice to worry about what to get your girlfriend for your two week anniversary, to wonder if you were even supposed to give her anything for your two week anniversary."  
  
"Life was a lot simpler before Hogwarts."  
  
***  
  
Thursday was hell, in every sense of the word. It was blazing outside; it had to have been over one hundred degrees. Then of course, there was the insanity that was trying out a new team, even if they were only reserves. First and foremost on his mind had been finding his Keeper. He had almost  
died of satisfaction when he saw Faith come out onto the pitch. He had seen her flying with a few girls he had not recognized a few days ago and  
she was spectacular. Then he realized that she didn't have her broom.  
  
"Faith, you can't try out without a broom." She gave him a smile and laughed.  
  
"I'm not trying out Harry. I'm here to help you organize things. You still have one more class today, so I guessed that I could at least help you make a list of all the people who come and what position they're trying out for and such." He didn't know whether to be disappointed or not. Faith was spectacular on a broom, she had a natural grace in the air that she didn't always have on the ground, but she didn't want to try out. But he didn't have time to be disappointed. A moment later a dozen kids came onto the pitch from one direction and from the other came five seventh years. Harry gulped.  
  
"Uh... help!" Faith grinned.  
  
"You can do this. You have natural leadership skills. Why do you think I have resorted to bossing Fred and George around instead of you? You wouldn't listen to me." Harry rubbed the back of his neck as the people moved to the bleachers. He saw Ron and Hermione among the crowd, but only Ron had a broom, and it wasn't Ron's broom.  
  
"Ron, where did you get that?" Harry stared at the broom Ron had lain across his knee.  
  
"Your darling God sister, Faith. She said I could use it for try-outs and for the season if I made the team. Isn't it beautiful?" Ron glowed.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked finally.  
  
"An Amazon 800. There were only two hundred of them made! It's an American broom, has near the speed of a Firebolt and twice the stability. It isn't on the Quidditch favorites list, but American brooms are in a league of their own..." Hermione seemed to be bored with the line of conversation. She had one leg crossed over the other at the knee and was bouncing it up and down, her chin in her hand.  
  
"Showing a little Gryffindor pride Hermione?" Harry smiled at her.  
  
"Yes. That and I'm making sure Ginny actually tries out. Grace talked her into it, but she keeps trying to back out." Faith had come up to them with a clipboard and paper.  
  
"All right. Name? Ron Weasley. Year? Fifth. Position? Keeper." She glanced up at Hermione and smiled. "Name? Hermione Granger. Year? Fifth. Position? Resident cheerleader." Hermione couldn't help but smile.  
  
"I don't wear short skirts." Faith rolled her eyes and moved on, Harry following. Next was Grace.  
  
"Name?" Faith laughed. "Pain in the ass." She grinned and shook her head at her little sister, moving to the red-head next to Grace, Ginny. "Name? Ginny Weasley. Year? Fourth. Position? What are you trying out for Ginny?" Faith looked up from her list.  
  
"Chaser, but I'll take just about anything." Faith nodded, writing down the position and moving on to the next person, Harry stayed there.  
  
"Hi." He smiled down at them. "I didn't even know you played Quidditch, Ginny." Ginny gave him a half-smile.  
  
"There are lots of things you don't know about me Harry Potter." She flipped her ponytail off her shoulder and made a motion for him to move on. "Get going. You have try-outs to run."  
  
Harry wondered why he had never noticed Ginny Weasley.  
  
***  
  
An hour later they had finished testing the Keepers and were moving onto Chasers. Katie, Angelina and Alicia had given all the could-be-Keepers a  
run for their money and he saw a few good prospects. He was watching Ginny, a sixth year named Austin Green, and Dennis Creevey as they worked in formation. Unfortunately, he hadn't matched them up very well. Ginny was spectacular, but she worked differently than Austin and Dennis, causing many slip ups. You could tell that the problem was the teaming though, and  
not the lack of experience.  
  
"Green! Creevey! Down here! I want Hart and Sanchez up there with Ginny!" The play stopped and Dennis tossed the Quaffle to Ginny. Hart's first name was Bethany, a second year, and Sanchez was Miguel, a fellow fourth year of Ginny's from Spain. This match was much better and the three flew smoothly together, hardly even having to glance at one another. Harry had coerced Faith into playing Keeper while he tried out the Chasers, and was glad she wasn't trying out for that position. She wasn't very good at it. She would have made a better Chaser, not that she was going to listen to him though.  
  
They went through the paces with the future Beaters, which Fred and George took very seriously. That is after Faith told them that they were the worst Beaters she had ever seen and they stepped it up to game-like playing, which made it much easier to tell who would get it and who wouldn't.  
  
It was much harder for Harry to test out Seekers. It seems finding your own replacement is much harder than finding someone else's. It was dinnertime before they were through, and Harry dismissed them rather reluctantly. He had a good idea of whom he was going to be using, but this was still going to be a long night, and he had even forgot to count Astronomy.  
  
***  
  
Harry had just posted the new positions. The team had talked about who to  
put where and who would be the new Keeper until Hermione and Ron had to actually drag him out of his chair so they wouldn't miss Astronomy. He'd  
picked Ron for his new Keeper, informing them that he was the best out there without a spectacular amount of training, at this his Chaser's had rolled their eyes. Ginny, Bethany and Miguel were his reserve Chasers, a third year, Claire Barton, was his reserve Keeper and he'd made David and  
Daniel McKinnon, third year twins, his reserve Beaters. Choosing his Seeker had been the hardest, but he'd managed to convince Dennis that he  
was better built for it, and he couldn't say the boy wasn't thrilled.  
  
He was heading to breakfast, when he bumped into a girl much shorter than his now five foot nine and a half frame, sending them both sprawling. "I'm sorry." Harry reached for her hand and helped her up.  
  
"It's all right. I was looking for you." Harry stared at the girl, Cho, whom had been the object of his affection for two years.  
  
"Ch-- Cho. Hello. How are you?" She smiled at him.  
  
"Taking everything one day at a time." She motioned at the bottom of the staircase and Harry sat down with her. "I've wanted to talk to you for a while now." Harry opened his mouth to speak but she held up her hand to stop him.  
  
"Please don't interrupt me. I have to get this all out. First of all, I know that what happened to Cedric was not your fault. I would never dream of blaming you for it. You are not like that. Secondly, I understand why you have been avoiding me. Dumbledore called me into his office after you told him what had happened. He knew how close Cedric and I were and thought I should know. He also knew that you would be very uncomfortable telling me, he thought it would be a while before you told that story again. Third, congratulations on becoming Gryffindor Captain."  
  
Harry sat silent for a moment. "Well, what am I supposed to say?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you for understanding, it-- it means a lot to me. Thank you for the congratulations. I didn't hear who got Ravenclaw Captain."  
  
Cho smiled at him again that smile that would have made his knees go weak a year ago. "I did. It will be a pleasure playing against you. You've always been a worthy opponent. Cedric thought so as well." She paused. "Did anyone tell you who made Hufflepuff Seeker?" Harry shook his head. "Justin Finch-Fletchery. They say he's really good, but I haven't seen him fly before." She stood up and looked down at Harry. "Don't let the guilt of something that you can't change weight you down."  
  
To Be Continued... 


End file.
